Hawk666

I do not know if this can be answered but is it likely that this cool library can be ported to Arma2? I mean, does it use official script functionalities, which might be also compatible with Arma2?

I wounder, why C# is not popular in the gaming industry^^. Is it the performance (due to garbage collection) or is it just a mix of ideology  and the used libraries ? I have seen many reports for example that you are 5x more productive in python than in java. Nor, that I would choose python for a 3D simulation rendering engine ;-). But I am really wondering, why C/C++ is still so extreme popular. (Tiobe Index)

know this ;-). But I would like to know which features are available in Arma2 since I assume that there is already a feature freeze? But perhaps I am just impatient, as always Â

Hi *, since Arma2 is already gone Beta I suppose now it should be clear which enhancements in the area of scripting is available. I would be specially interested in: - will there be an official means to connect to other applications (c#/socket) - has debugging been improved - has AI modification been improved (eg. FSM etc.) Perhaps the devs could give some feedback here or in an upcoming blog?

I'm more than impressed...especially I like the dogs since I love these creatures  . Please take your time to finish this product!!! If the AI is really that good as promised in some interviews you've raised the bar very high again...no doubts!

is a debugger on the list for Arma2 ?...even in its simplest form? I don't mean a debugging console but a debugger as you would it expect from other languages... writing log messages is nice but does not always help...

Hi, I'm a fan of the SWAT series and since this series seem to be dead (currently no further development) I was just thinking if the Arma(2) engine could be used for such a mod. But probably it is not possible due to the need to micromanage the AI and the engine is no so powerful indoors? What do the experienced modders think?

Thanks a lot for the links guys...was unaware of the FFN mod completely! But never the less: The question is, if the ArmA engine is capable to simulate non-lethal action like SWAT4. I think the main problem is, that the engine is not so suitable for indoor action (open/close door, positioning of AI etc.). I am right? The FFN videos looks sometimes regarding indor CQB a little funny ('ghosts' which can move through walls etc.) I don't want to ask for solutions, just if the guys, who have a lot of experience with the engine/script think, that this could be handled by the engine

Hi, can anybody recommend me a server etc. where I can play serious coop from time to time. Don't have the time to play regularly. Thanks.

a suggestion to the devs: perhaps you can create a page in the wiki and describe roughly the changes from time to time (so basically the delta between Arma and Arma2 regarding modding/mission making)...could be useful after the release too...

Thx for your replies...will check it out

Thanks for the info...is it likely, that there will be the possibility to communicate with external windows applications/scripts? (so similar a built in ArmALib ) ?

@Suma: Is it planned to provide the possibility to benefit from multi-core in scripts too or is this automatically handled by the engine (I mean the Spawn command for example) I'm thinking of running a complex algorithm in background etc.

Looks all very promising ! Just take your time to finish this jewel Â

He didn't actually answer the question. So they might not have scripts or he wasn't really sure what the guy was on about (which I doubt if they have done research into this community). Perhaps they have an API and using a common language like Python etc. instead? I would be better to go this way (reusing existing libraries and so on, more powerful language). The script language of ArmA (and probably ArmaII) is not bad and has its advantages too (tightly integrated with the engine). But I miss OO-features and the possibility to reuse algorithms in existing libraries.

sometimes I've the impression, that more than 50% of the posts in this forum are just rumors Â

same with Flight Simulator X...I can remember this 'lovely' DX 10 rendering picture preview in 2006. Now, what's actual implemented after two years? Just a preview mode (SP2) with some minor effects and maybe small performance improvements. And I've bougth a DX 10 card...

Hi, is it possible, that the developers can give a small overview about the planned improvements of the scripting engine or is it still to early to talk about it? Personally I'd be interested, if the scripting language itself gets improved (OO-features etc.) and if it is possible to communicate with other programs (eg. by using sockets) Thanks.

Hi, this topic is related to the expected? RPG feature of Arma2. Perhaps it's possible within this framework to generate automatically conversations between NPCs (and also between human players and NPCs). The conversations can range about trivial stuff like talking about girlfriends and (if or before in combat situation) about fears. Perhaps it could even go so far, that the conversations have influence on the morale/'strength' of the squad...I think you get the idea... I think, such a feature would give the sim a more realistic touch and - perhaps - it's not expensive to develop if it could be build over the RPG framework... Of course, it would be nice, if the content is exchangeable...

Hi, I'd like to see that the AI (either leader AI or player) is enabled to scout an area and reports the situation to the leader/group. That would mean, that you can just define an area and the AI would be capable to go there in 'stealth' mode and scout the area until further notice. What do y think?

I'm quite curios :-) about the new RPG feature in Arma2. Perhaps, the developers can give some infos about it? Personally, I would be interested to know, if the RPG feature can be accessed via scripts/FSM and what the (planned) features are. Are 'personal' relations modeled as well? For example if an 'AI' friend is dying...has this impact on the morale of the remaining friend and so on... Thanks.

@shinRaiden: I understand your arguments regarding performance. The main problem which I have personally with the 'ArmA Script standalone approach is': - since it's a proprietary language you cannot use standard libraries (AI algorithms etc.) - regardless of the capabilities: It's not a clean language: no library , 'thousand' keyword, no real debugging, no OO. Modders who are familar with the script environment since the beginnings of OFP are surely productive. But people like me, which come from 'standard' languages' have a high learning curve. The code from existing, complex, scripts reminds me of Perl: It's very difficult to read if your're not an expert. And I've doubts that ArmA2 scripts gets a redesign due to high efforts for BIS and the compatibility issue to existing mods. - there are missing functionalities, like access to file system etc. Regarding python you might be right, but I think it's not valid if you call c++. Apart from this: The proposal to enable TCP/IP in scripts (eg. sockets) would be better than nothing.

Hi, what do you think about the possibility to provide an interface to other program languages, like c++, python ? I don't mean, that you can access the arma engine from these languages (would be great, but probably too expensive to build?) but the other way around: to call some python, c++ etc. coding from Arma scripts. Reason: you could create (and reuse) complex algorithms in standard languages and use the libraries which are already available etc. (non-visual stuff, of course) I don't know, how expensive that would be to built, but it would follow a trend, which you can see by other major sdks: They provide the possibility to use scripts for 'easy/medium' tasks and for complex one's you can use c++ etc.

I could imagine, that BIS is just too 'small' to build every feature in their graphics/physic engine. I think I've read, that ~20 people working on Arma2 is that right? Just compare it with Ofp2 (>100). So, personally I think, that BIS should concentrate, what they can do due to their experience with the older title and VBS series: Concentration on the AI, editing and campaign. Let the player feel, that he's really involved, like in a good flight simulator, this time My 2 cents

Thanks for posting frostwyrm333, looking forward to your second post. BIS seems to understand, that Arma2 needs to have a better quality as ArmA from the beginnings. That's a good sign If they manage to get the AI somewhat clever this time, introduce a dynamic campaign which deserves the name and add RPG I've to ask my boss for 2 months vacation